Aldi Case Essay Example

Aldi Case Essay 1)What are the core elements to Aldi’s business strategy? Be specific as to what they are doing that sets them apart from competition and WHY this is different than their competitors? The core elements to Aldi’s business strategy are to offer top quality and extremely low prices. One article states that in the Midwest, Aldi’s prices are â€Å"15% and 20% less than Wal-Mart and 30% to 40% cheaper than regional chains. † The company also focuses on selling goods that have a high turnover such as food and beverages. Aldi receives shipments of goods five to six times a week and it takes anywhere from one to four days for delivery. Aldi’s organized and simple supply chain allows for fast shipment. However, what makes Aldi unique is that while it carries a diverse set of 1,500 products, it does not compare to the number of products sold by Walmart at 125,000. Therefore Aldi offers an enjoyable shopping experience for its customers. Customers do not feel overwhelmed by all of the choices of products like they may do at a Walmart store. A major difference between the two companies is how fast they replenish their products. Walmart uses an extremely complex system that can create lag time in the supply chain. We will write a custom essay sample on Aldi Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Aldi Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Aldi Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Also, Aldi strives on promoting its own brand unlike its competitors. 95% of its goods are the Aldi brand. I believe Aldi is different from its competitors because the company is foreign based and that it is a small format. In the New York Times article about why Aldi has succeeded in cities where Walmart has not it says a major reason is because of its small product line. A simple product line has allowed Aldi to be very profitable. Focusing on one genre of products to sell, Aldi can increase the quality of those products. The company does not spread itself out too thin and strives on brining the lowest best quality product to the shelves. )Why have they been so successful over the years? This should be from a consumer perspective. Different from #1 which is from the company perspective. What is the compelling consumer need or perception that they fill in the marketplace. How do they compare to our biggest discounter in food, Walmart? I believe Aldi has become so successful over the years because the company strives on simplicity. Employees of Aldi understand consumer behavior very well. They know consumers are lazy and want to be in and out of stores in the quickest time possible. Therefore, Aldi management has created a shopping experience meant for the â€Å"in and out shopper† which has seen great positive affects. To be the most efficient store, Aldi’s â€Å"do not accept checks or credit cards. There is no butcher or bakery, and fruit is sold in bags to speed checkout. † Compared to Walmart, a store that offers a far less enjoyable consumer experience, Aldi strives to be different. Unlike Aldi’s, Walmart stores can sometimes be intimidating to consumers because of the vast array of product offerings. Consumers find shopping at Walmart to be difficult because there is not a lot of help and that the store is just too large. Aldi’s on the other hand, creates a much more consumer friendly atmosphere by offering only food and household items. Also when you walk into an Aldi store, you are immediately in a shopping aisle. The store is designed so consumers need to walk through every aisle creating more chances of incidental exposure. Aldi stores are not designed to look pretty. The only purpose they offer to consumers is to help them find products that they need. 3)After visiting our local Aldi’s store, why do you think this global powerhouse may struggle to do well in the US? What was your initial impression of the store? Who shops there? After visiting the store, I believe this global powerhouse may struggle in the US because the inside of the store is not very conducive to providing a great shopping experience. The aisles are messy and the products look as if they were pulled out from the back of a truck. The store is dimly lit and seems almost dirty. When I walked into the store, I was originally taken back because I had a mindset that it was going to be very nice. However, I was wrong. I did not enjoy my surroundings and I did not believe that Aldi focuses on the high quality portion of their mission, but only the low cost. Also, the customers that Aldi attracts are lower class individuals. These people shop in bulk and are attracted to the store because of the low prices. They do not care about the sloppiness of the displays just that they can get the lowest price. 4)Knowing what you do about assortment, what part of the ROA equation do you think they maximize? Explain. I believe Aldi maximizes the total assets part of the formula. Because the company strives on stocking it shelves with a limited number of products, their total assets are relatively low. This creates a higher ROA. Aldi has done a very good job at maximizing sales while controlling expenses. The higher the income and lower the total assets shows how well Aldi is producing earnings from its assets. 5)Now, talk to someone that has shopped at a Trader Joe’s, also owned by Aldi. Why do you think this similar strategy with a completely different execution (in store look and feel) might be more successful here in the US. Look at their US locations for Trader Joe’s. How can they continue to have limited assortment and yet cater to a more affluent target than Aldi’s stores? Based on the article you read, why do you think Trader Joes and Aldi’s are so secretive about their business? Many US businesses see it as PR if they are covered in the press, these entities feel this is unnecessary. What would you do if the head of marketing for the parent company, adapt to US marketing standards of transparency builds relationships or keep your image hidden and let your products, locations, etc speak for themselves? (Explain your rationale using marketing principles not just your opinion). I believe this similar strategy with a different execution of Trader Joe’s is more successful here because they are more aware of what American consumers want and how they shop. Trader Joe’s connects with its consumers on a more personal level. Their employees are friendly and their displays are unique, creating an overall enjoyable shopping experience. I think Trader Joe’s is more successful because the company swaps selection for quality. Customers have begun to trust Trader Joe’s in that what ever is on their shelves is the best possible product. Aldi does not have this trust yet. With time, more and more customers will begin to trust the foreign company in that their offerings are of the best quality. Also, I believe Aldi needs to focus ore on creating nicer displays. Currently, these stores are very messy and this could be a reason consumers do not like shopping there. Trader Joe’s can target more affluent people by offering more unique products. Already it offers exotic, affordable luxuries and for it further differentiate itself from Aldi, Trader Joe’s should expand these types of products while cutting back on more common products they sell. Based on the article, I believe Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s are so secretive about how they run their individual businesses because they have been so successful. I believe they do not want larger stores such as Walmart and Target to figure out their key to success. Because Walmart and Target occupy a large sector of the market and are both extremely powerful, Aldi and Trader Joe’s do not want to be overtaken by them. If I were head of marketing I would continue with keeping the companies image hidden for a period of time. If this tactic was not working, I would soon then adapt to a more transparent company. US consumers like to hear from their favorite companies and they like to feel a connection to the upper levels of management, therefore companies who are more hidden from them may not fare as well.

Free Essays on The Fire Next Time

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is not a â€Å"story† in the conventional way we are used to a story with a main character, a plot and so forth. This book is more of a diary entry of Baldwin’s experiences with certain topics, mainly racism and religion. Baldwin examines his relationship with the church in his youth, the events surrounding him that lead him to that relationship. During his meeting with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he compares the feelings of his past relationship with God, to the Nation of Islam. Baldwin, like myself and many other Americans, was pushed into church as a child. Not attending for the enlightenment that God is supposed to bring us, nor the divine revelation that we experience when we are â€Å"saved†, he attended church because it was the right thing to do. â€Å"I supposed that God and safety were synonymous† (Baldwin 16). He walked the streets of my current neighborhood, and saw the things that I witnessed as a child attending school in lower Manhattan. Hookers, pimps, gamblers, addicts, and an assortment of other things made a â€Å"bad† neighborhood. Witnessing this, he felt that the only safe place from this was church. He was eventually â€Å"saved†. He explains in the book that the church was a racket, and that â€Å"It was good luck that I found my self in the church racket instead of some other, and surrendered to a spiritual seduction long before I came to any carnal knowledge† (Baldwin 28). His knowledge of the struc ture of the church, not to be mistaken with religion, founded the idea of the church being a racket. â€Å"I knew how to work on a congregation until the last dime was surrendered-it was not very hard to do-and I knew where the money for â€Å"the lord’s work† went (Baldwin 38). He stated that â€Å"being in the pulpit was like being in the theatre; I was behind the scenes and knew how the illusion was worked† (Baldwin 37). That is the primary reason that I do not attend church, no... Free Essays on The Fire Next Time Free Essays on The Fire Next Time â€Å"White people [†¦] have to accept and love themselves [†¦] which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never.† James Baldwin, author of The Fire Next Time, said this in reference to his thoughts on whites and blacks seeing each other as equals (12). He states that when whites learn to love and accept themselves, the â€Å"Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed† (12). To understand why he believes this, one must first know other concepts and beliefs of Baldwin. First off, Baldwin says that there was no such thing as a â€Å"Negro† before the whites invented it. Second, he thinks that whites do not love and respect themselves, therefore they cannot love or respect others. Also, Baldwin says that whites and blacks cannot be equals until they come to each other as lovers. Once these ideas of Baldwin, and of many other blacks in the early 1960’s, are understood, then one is capable of knowing why Baldwin sa ys this about the â€Å"Negro† problem. The first thing to look at is the fact that Baldwin says whites invented the â€Å"Negro†. This statement is often argued by saying that there were black slaves in Africa, and other parts of the globe, many years before there were slaves in the United States. However, the difference is that the majority of the slaves in Africa were black, because that was the color majority in Africa. There were white slaves and free blacks in Africa. There, and in other places, one was a slave not due to the color of their skin, but because their tribe was captured or because they were sold into slavery. In the United States, all the slaves were black, because they were mostly all brought over from Africa. However, as time went on, Americans ignored the fact that the color of the skin of their slaves was due to where their slaves originally came from. The mistake made by Americans was that they made the skin color black synonymous with the word slave. Americans n... Free Essays on The Fire Next Time The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin is not a â€Å"story† in the conventional way we are used to a story with a main character, a plot and so forth. This book is more of a diary entry of Baldwin’s experiences with certain topics, mainly racism and religion. Baldwin examines his relationship with the church in his youth, the events surrounding him that lead him to that relationship. During his meeting with the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, he compares the feelings of his past relationship with God, to the Nation of Islam. Baldwin, like myself and many other Americans, was pushed into church as a child. Not attending for the enlightenment that God is supposed to bring us, nor the divine revelation that we experience when we are â€Å"saved†, he attended church because it was the right thing to do. â€Å"I supposed that God and safety were synonymous† (Baldwin 16). He walked the streets of my current neighborhood, and saw the things that I witnessed as a child attending school in lower Manhattan. Hookers, pimps, gamblers, addicts, and an assortment of other things made a â€Å"bad† neighborhood. Witnessing this, he felt that the only safe place from this was church. He was eventually â€Å"saved†. He explains in the book that the church was a racket, and that â€Å"It was good luck that I found my self in the church racket instead of some other, and surrendered to a spiritual seduction long before I came to any carnal knowledge† (Baldwin 28). His knowledge of the struc ture of the church, not to be mistaken with religion, founded the idea of the church being a racket. â€Å"I knew how to work on a congregation until the last dime was surrendered-it was not very hard to do-and I knew where the money for â€Å"the lord’s work† went (Baldwin 38). He stated that â€Å"being in the pulpit was like being in the theatre; I was behind the scenes and knew how the illusion was worked† (Baldwin 37). That is the primary reason that I do not attend church, no...

Aortic Dissection Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aortic Dissection - Research Paper Example Other persons complain of shortness of breath, arm and leg pains, weakness and loss of consciousness. If arteries supplying the heart are affected, it may result in heart attack. If the arteries supplying blood to the brain are affected the patient may suffer a stroke. Diagnosis of aortic dissection includes a complete examination of blood pressure, heart, and pulses. An electrocardiogram may be used to show complications of the dissection. X-rays may be used to show enlarged aorta. However, x-ray and ECG may fail to show aortic dissection. The most efficient and frequently used tests to diagnose aortic dissection include a computed tomography scan, transesophageal echocardiogram, and magnetic resonance imaging. Therefore, accurate diagnosis of the condition is critical for reducing the mortality rates of patients facing aortic dissection. The goals of treating a patient diagnosed with aortic dissection are to control the team, find out whether the repairing the tear may benefit the patient and treating any other associated complications. The tear can be controlled by reducing the blood pressure as much as possible. Various medications are available to reduce blood pressure and lower heart rate. Such blockers include diltiazem and verapamil. Based on the evaluation of the patient, surgical treatment may be considered. Immediate surgery may be considered for a patient diagnosed with type A dissection. For type B dissection, medical treatment is usually considered and surgical treatment is not recommended.

Compare messages and representations of sex, love and romance across Essay

Compare messages and representations of sex, love and romance across different magazines - Essay Example The images in the covers quite imply sexual messages, peculiar relationships, and gender. The following analyses look into how popular culture sources such as magazines represent issues on relationships. These sources feature salient commonalities. The substantial connection signal the inclination of the present times. In particular, literature such as Glamour, Hilary, and Cosmopolitan magazines focus on practicability, assertiveness, and open-mindedness as foundations of ideal intimacies. Therefore, a good number of popular culture sources embody sex, love, and romance through open, brazen, and mature characterizations that are likewise observed in other features of civilization. Discussion Glamour. One of the famous publications widely read by women is Glamour magazine. In fact, it has editions in other parts of the world such as Mexico, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Its issue regarding â€Å"Sex and Love† gives various tips on what men think, dating, relationships, sex, and breakups. Issues target the needs and interests connected to improving affections such as how to please men more. This entails being more active in exploring delicate body parts. For example, one article suggests that men like to be touched in certain sensitive areas such as the butt, neck, ear, feet, and nape (Gold, â€Å"10 Places to Try Touching Him Right Now†). The directness of the subject reflects the empowerment of women when it comes to how they can be the source of pleasure in an intimate relationship. Seemingly, they are given authority and perhaps even the responsibility to adduce gratification in men. This kind of theme may affect readers to be more experimental, bold, and sensitive on how they touch their partners. Furthermore, another article recommends some standards when dating older men. Several of the â€Å"dos† are: to be mature, be oneself, and realize the fact that guys look better with age (Melms, â€Å"The Dos and Don’ts of Dati ng an Older Man). The advices indicate the vulnerability of older men’s egos in a relationship. Hence, it encourages the public to view older partners in a more realistic and mature light. It does not always impose that if the partner is older, he is higher in stature relationship-wise. In a loving relationship, both should have a more or less fair ranking on how they treat each other. Another very thought-provoking classic is on the 7 things that a girl must feel comfortable doing when she is really in love with a guy. These are being able to show one’s anger toward him, letting him know how upset one is because of others, being able to lose control and cry, showing certain insecurities, looking scruffy, getting ill, and being affectionate to other people (Melms, â€Å"Listen Up: It’s Not True Love Unless You’re Doing These 7 Things†). Basically, the sign of true love is knowing and feeling that one can be accepted despite one’s weaknesses. It also implies that relationships should be a home of acceptance, warmth, and confidence. Hilary. Another periodical which proclaims itself to be â€Å"North America’s first and most popular online women’s magazine† is Hilary. Certainly, the publication uses amatory visual cues to evoke sex and romance. The topic is emphasized by the background picture which features a young woman in a suggestive pose. Wearing a revealing black top with matching black

Autism is a developmental disorder of the brain

Autism is a developmental disorder of the brain What is Autism? Autism is a developmental disorder of the brain. People with autism have problems communicating or interacting socially with society. They also may have unusual patterns of behavior, interests and activities. There are five kinds of autism, which is why doctors use the term autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The three main types of autism include: Classic autism, Aspergers syndrome, Nonspecific pervasive developmental disorder (PDD-NOS) A group of children who dont quite fit the criteria for the other types. There are also two rare autism disorders: Rett syndrome a neurodevelopment disorder that affects mostly girls; it includes problems with movement and speech, along with autistic features. Childhood disintegrative disorder a severe type in which the child loses more physical, language and social skills than in classic autism. Autism used to be the term used for anyone with that particular condition. Today, there are several different sub categories for different levels of disability or function. No two children diagnosed will be the same, but there will be many things that they do have in common. With some high functioning autistics most people may not even be aware that they have autism, while others need assistance in almost any part of life, and they are obviously living a very different life than other children. More is being discovered about each of these different autism types as time goes on (Evans). Aspergers Disorder is a type of autism that you hear more and more about. These children are often misdiagnosed at first, and are thought to have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or perhaps Attention Deficit Disorder. These children are very unskilled with social interactions and have problems with communicating. They have repetitive motions, and are fixated on patterns of all types. They can have above average language skills, though they dont use them well in social situations. They are often clumsy, as motor skills are under developed. Those with Aspergers are thought to have a talent that they focus on almost exclusively, and are considered to be highly intelligent. Recent findings indicate that Albert Einstein may have had this condition (Evans). Kanners Syndrome is a particular type of autism that was named after Dr. Kanner. He described and studied it in the 1930s and into the 1940s. This is the well-known type of this condition that is very common. Those with Kanners have very limited emotional connection with anyone, and they are very into their own little world. They want everything to be the same all of the time, and this includes routine (sometimes down to the exact minute) clothing, food, and television shows or movies. They can be deeply affected by noises, bright lights and smells. They are generally considered to be low functioning, but how well their mind works is largely unknown because of extremely poor social and communication skills (Evans). Pervasive Developmental DisorderNot Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is used to describe children who have most of the same symptoms as classic autism. They will need the same interventions and help that autistic children require. The differences between PDD-NOS and autism are minor and usually only obvious to researchers and doctors (Evans). Retts Syndrome is a rare and relatively little-known type of autism, and it seems to only happen in girls. This branch of autism was first described by Dr. Rett. These patients often have problems with muscle atrophy, and tend to do repetitive hand motions. They are almost always mentally retarded to some degree. These girls are very low functioning and will need care for most of their lives. This particular type of autism has been diagnosed since the sixties, but in the late 1990s a gene that might cause this condition was found (Evans). Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is also rare and something that strikes children who appear to have normal development from birth. Usually between two and four years of age this changes. These children begin to regress, and often do not potty train. They will lose the will and the ability to interact with other children, and will lose an interest in playing. They will also have problem with the motor skills that were something they at one time had mastered. They will stop talking, or their communication skills will regress to some degree (Evans). Signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are typically first seen in toddlers before the age of three, but only half of the children with it are diagnosed before kindergarten. Rett syndrome is caused by a mutation on a gene, while the cause of the other types of autism remain unknown. Some studies suggest that other forms of autism may be inherited (genetic), while other evidence points to infection or the effects of an environmental toxin (poison). Some doctors believe autism may result from a brain injury or brain abnormality that occurred during development in the womb or in early infancy. Others have reported evidence that the disorder is a result of abnormal levels of chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which send messages between cells in the brain and nerves. ASD affects about 2 to 6 out of 1,000 children, from all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. It is three to four times more common in boys than in girls, with Rett syndrome being the exce ption (Wiki). Some of the diagnostic tests performed to see whether a child is autistic or not are: Behavioral assessments. Various guidelines and questionnaires are used to help a doctor determine the specific type of developmental delay a child has. These include: Medical history. During the medical history interview, a doctor asks general questions about a childs development, such as whether a child shows parents things by pointing to objects. Young children with autism often point to items they want, but do not point to show parents an item and then check to see if parents are looking at the item being pointed out. Diagnostic guidelines for autism. The American Association of Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has established guidelines for diagnosing autism.2 The criteria are designed so a doctor can assess a childs behavior relating to core symptoms of autism. The criteria are designed for children age 3 and older. Other behavioral questionnaires. Additional diagnostic tests focus on children younger than age 3. Clinical observations. A doctor may want to observe the developmentally delayed child in different situations. The parents may be asked to interpret whether certain behaviors are usual for the child in those circumstances. Developmental and intelligence tests. The AACAP also recommends that tests be given to evaluate whether a childs developmental delays affect his or her ability to think and make decisions (WebMD). Some parents believe that the MMR vaccine (an immunization shot against measles, mumps, and rubella) children receive may cause autism. This theory was based on two facts. First, the incidence of autism has increased steadily since around the same time the MMR vaccine was introduced. Second, children with the regressive form of autism (a type of autism that develops after a period of normal development) tend to start to show symptoms around the time the MMR vaccine is given. Several major studies have found no connection between the vaccine and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that there is no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine, or any other vaccine. Some doctors believe the increased incidence in autism is due to newer definitions of autism. The term autism now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago (Oasis). An early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children with autism. Most programs will build on the interests of the child in a highly structured schedule of constructive activities. Visual aids are often helpful. Treatment is most successful when it is geared toward the childs particular needs. An experienced specialist or team should design the program for the individual child. A variety of therapies are available, including: applied behavior analysis (ABA), medications, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language therapy. Sensory integration and vision therapy are also common, but there is little research supporting their effectiveness. The best treatment plan may use a combination of techniques (Oasis). Autism remains a challenging condition for children and their families, but the outlook today is much better than it was a generation ago. At that time, most people with autism were placed in institutions. Today, with the right therapy, many of the symptoms of autism can be improved, though most people will have some symptoms throughout their lives. Most people with autism are able to live with their families or in the community. The outlook depends on the severity of the autism and the level of therapy the person receives.

Starbucks in 2009

STARBUCKS IN 2009 1 TABLE OF CONTENT Starbucks issues and causes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 2 Starbucks current strategies and evaluation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 Analysis and recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 SOAR analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 10 Competitive analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 11 Value chain analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Recommendations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17 Appendix†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 19 STARBUCKS IN 2009 2STARBUCKS IN 2009 Starbucks issues and causes Starbucks share price went down from the peak of $4 0(October 2006) more than 75% over the next two years. The sale and operating profits decreased 73. 1 million dollars compared to the last year in 2008 (Table 1 in the Appendix). The growth rate of Starbucks store sales decreased 8% in 2008 (Starbucks Corporation, 2008). 60. 00% 50. 00% 40. 00% 30. 00% 20. 00% 10. 00% 0. 00% 2005 2006 2007 2008 ROA ROE The chart above shows the ROA (return on assets) and ROE (return on equity) ratio of Starbucks has generally gone down between 2005 and 2008.STARBUCKS IN 2009 3 Following are five main factors that caused Starbucks downturn in 2008: 1. Economic environment—Great Recession The global economic decline began in 2007 and took a sharp downward turn in September 2008. Due to this recession, each U. S. household lost an average of approximately $5,800 in income, and gross domestic product declined 6. 2 percent annualized (PEW, 2008). 2. Competitors Some independent coffee shops, such as Caribou Coffee (U. S. ), have imitated the opera ting model of Starbucks and have expanded and become national chains.In addition, fast food chains, including McDonald’s, Burger King, and Dunkin’ Donuts, started to provide coffee and get favorable comments. 3. Consumer performance Customers, especially coffee-lovers, became connoisseurs through the education process of coffee, which is a part of â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. Those educated customers would look for superior alternatives to satisfy the appetite. Another factor that affects sales is local preference. Customers could prefer different flavors and different types of coffee in different regions and areas.Ignoring the custom is the main aspect that leads to the failure of Starbucks in Australia. STARBUCKS IN 2009 4 4. Excessive store expansions One of Starbucks’ operating strategies is to increase its market share by continuing to open new stores in the existing market, and expanding stores in the new market to support its long-term strategy. Du ring the recession, Starbucks did not slow down the expansion which resulted in 300 store closures and 6700 job losses in 2009. In 2008, cost of sales increased from $3999 million to $4645 million from the previous year. The store operating expenses have increased $528. 0 million between 2006 and 2007; and the long-term debt has also increased from $2. 7 million in 2006 to $550. 9 million in 2007 (Table 1 in the Appendix). 5. â€Å"Starbucks Experience† brand dilution Although Starbucks has already created a distinguished mission and value for the last twenty years, consumers’ perception towards the â€Å"Starbucks Experience† has changed rapidly. Consumers are becoming too familiar with the brand and consider Starbucks’ product overpriced compared to other coffee stores in the market. Many questions arise to if consumers really value and recognized the â€Å"Starbucks Experience†.Starbucks current strategies and evaluation 1. Rediscover and Revita lize Starbucks Experience The â€Å"Starbucks Experience† includes the high quality coffee beans, employee involvement, community relations, social purpose, the layout and design of the stores, STARBUCKS IN 2009 5 and Starbucks location strategy. Howard Schultz’s strategy is to redefine the core brand value. Although the company has a well-established image in the market in the past twenty years, the same distinctiveness and concept might not have the same appeal to the consumers in the second decade of the twenty first century. . Revise mission statement and objectives: According to the Starbucks Corporation report for Fiscal Year 2008, Starbucks aims to establish itself as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world through continuing expansion of its retail operations, growing its specialty operations, and pursuing other opportunities by introducing new products and developing new channels of distribution. This strategy shows that Starbucks place th eir attention on the scale and leading position of the company, and underestimate the importance of branding and differentiation.Both the fast expansion and over diversification would hurt the brand concept and cover the outstanding features, which could be proved by the decreased gross margin showed in the following graph. STARBUCKS IN 2009 6 Gross Margin of Starbucks 0. 53 0. 52 0. 51 0. 5 0. 49 0. 48 0. 47 0. 46 0. 45 0. 44 2006 2007 2008 Gross Margin 3. Re-emphasize core value Although one of the â€Å"Starbucks Experience† location strategies is to cluster 20 or more stores in each urban hub, Howard Schultz have re-emphasized the core value of the company and reduced store expansions in 2008.Under operating expenses, it shows the total of $266. 9 million in restructuring charges as the company is reducing retail stores that are not profitable. The total net stores opened in United States were only 445 in 2008 year ended, compared to 1065 net stores opened in 2009 year en ded. Starbucks also closed 64 stores in Australia due to the highly competitive environment of European culture influences. Instead of opening more retails in the city, the company has increased the drive-thru stores in the suburban locations in the U.S. and Canada, with approximately 35 percent and 31 percent of growth between 2007 and 2008. The decision of restructuring stores in 2008 cause a great lost in the company. However, the changes were necessary for the company to re-focus and re-define its core value of â€Å"Starbucks Experience† which leads the company to a fresh start in the following year. STARBUCKS IN 2009 7 4. Reconnect with customers through community projects and social responsibility â€Å"Perhaps we have the opportunity to be a different type of global company.One that makes a profit but at the same time demonstrates a social conscience†, this was Schultz’s vision for the company and showed his concern for re-establishing Starbucks social r esponsibility. In 2008 Starbucks held their annual meeting in New Orleans and used this as an opportunity to raise 10,000 volunteers to take part in various community projects to help rebuild this area. They have also created what they call Starbucks Shared Planet; which focuses on ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement.Starbucks knows how important it is to their customers that they are socially responsible and offer something different and outstanding in comparison to their competitors. 5. Review operating practices Starbucks operates in both company-operated and licensed retail stores, and provides packaged coffee, tea and other branded products through a licensing relationship with partners. Starbucks installed new coffee making equipment, which cost millions of dollars, to emphasis the â€Å"hand-made† feature. They also revised the food menu and removed the non-core products to avoid the conflict among concepts.Around 84 percent of total n et revenues during fiscal 2008 came from the company-operated retail stores. By maintaining and developing company-operated retail stores, it could help keep the leading position and the experience provided by Starbucks STARBUCKS IN 2009 8 based on the superior customer service to reflect personality and build loyalty. On the other hand, the strategy of licensing rights to operate retail stores and produce branded products through partnership improves the awareness of Starbucks and reduces barriers to developing new markets through the local advantage of partners.Although it brought up the operating expenses both in U. S. and international markets, upgrading the coffee machine is a positive approach to keep consistency with the â€Å"Starbucks Experience† and Starbucks image. Once the coffee is made individually from freshly ground beans, the customers would notice the â€Å"hand-made† feature, which results in a different perception from other competitors. Since foods ervice sales accounted for 17 percent of all products and Starbucks gained about 5 percent of total revenues through providing food in the U. S. market, food is still a crucial element of the business.Therefore, it is necessary to seriously think about reinventing the food menu—distinguishing the conflicts and then removing the products that really affect atmosphere—rather than cancelling all the options. 6. Remain shareholder value Base on the annual report of Starbucks in 2007 and 2008, the company did not pay cash dividends to share holders, as well as in the near future (Starbucks, 2007&2008). The factors that influenced the stock price are comprised of company’s operational and financial performance, current and future industrial condition, and external economic situation. STARBUCKS IN 2009 9In 2008, investors were concerned about the current situation of Starbucks as many companies were facing bankruptcy, the stock price went down quickly due to selling st ocks to receive cash. In order to increase the confidence of shareholders, the CEO of Starbucks pronounced that company would keep forces on create long-term shareholder value. During the financial crisis, it was hard to let people believe in the future. Starbucks must make changes on their performance to satisfy the investors. However, the data shows that it was continuing deteriorated. The operating margin and net margin kept falling, which would disappoint shareholders. . 16 0. 14 0. 12 0. 1 0. 08 0. 06 0. 04 0. 02 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 Operating Margin Net Margin 7. Re-emphasize employee values to the company After Schultz returned as CEO, he was driven to reignite his commitment to his employees in which he referred to as partners. In the past the company has done many STARBUCKS IN 2009 10 things to insure a workplace that people would be proud to work for. Schultz offers full health care benefits to all employees including part time; by doing this the company has dramatically lowered their turnover rate compared to other companies in the industry.During the hard time of reduced revenues Schultz realized the importance of bringing the full â€Å"Starbucks Experience† to each and every customer, and to do that he needed to have dedicated employees. Losing a knowledgeable and trained barista meant losing their valuable customer relationships that they have created. Schultz took human resource very seriously and made sure to meet with all levels of the company to reconsider and realign their purpose and principles and re-establish their connection with their customers.From Schultz’s perspective focusing on and improving the â€Å"Starbucks Experience† was just as important, if not more important than number crunching. Analysis and recommendations It is important for Starbucks to utilize three main stream strategic tools to see the issues of the organization and make action orientated plan. 1. SOAR analysis Strengths †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Strong business ethic Consistency within stores Many locations, equalling convenience Well known brand recognition STARBUCKS IN 2009 11 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Clear positioning Loyalty to customers Strong company culture Quality of product International presenceOpportunities †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Continuous cooperation with local farmers Conducting more research before quickly penetrating area Recognize consumer behaviour regarding new trends in the coffee industry Focusing on potential competitors (McDonalds/Tim Hortons) Sponsorship of local community events Aspirations †¢ †¢ Recreate â€Å"Starbucks Experience† Implement third place, â€Å"Home – Work – Starbucks† Results †¢ †¢ Measure by re-establishing SOAR every 3, 6, and 9 months Measured by aspirations becoming strengths and opportunities becoming results 2.Competitive analysis Based on the Porter’s Five Force model, the compe titive environment that Starbucks faces could be considered in following five aspects: STARBUCKS IN 2009 12 Bargaining power of suppliers—low Starbucks purchases large amounts of coffee beans directly from farmers all over the world, and they have built a relative stable relationship with some high quality coffee providers. Under this circumstance, the suppliers are at a disadvantage in the bargaining. Bargaining power of buyers—low Individual customers who consist of the majority of the target market usually do not have bargaining power, compared with a large corporation.In addition, customers have gradually accepted the slightly higher price of Starbucks because of the increasing awareness that they are paying for not only the coffee and food, but also the service and experience. Threats of substitutes—medium The substitutes of coffee could be tea, juice, soft drinks, milk, and other kinds of drinks. Since the similarity among these groups is relatively low, e specially for coffee-lovers, and the distinct flavor and functions, coffee is a special category.However, considering the experience that Starbucks wants to provide to customers, some other retail stores, such as ice-cream stores, would also target on the same market, which is the substitute of the â€Å"Starbucks Experience†. STARBUCKS IN 2009 13 Threats of potential entrants—high Starbucks has a large amount of potential entrants, including ? New ventures that have plan to enter the market and become big corporations or national chains ? ? Local independent coffee shops that provide high quality imported coffee. Large national chains, such as Tim Hortons and Burger King, that start to serve gourment coffee and become high-end.Since the entry barrier of the specialty coffee industry is relatively low, new entrants could share the market and develop their loyal customers without high technology and heavy investment. Rivalry among existing firms—high Most coffee- shop chains that provide high-end coffee and relaxing experience would be considered as existing competitors of Starbucks. The competitive situation would vary enormously from country to country. The most typical and powerful competitors are Caribou Coffee, McDonald’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts. ? Caribou Coffee is the nearest competitor in the U. S. arket, which has 495 coffee shops in 15 states and ? In 2001, McDonald’s-run coffee counters were placed inside of McDonald’s stores, offering espresso drinks as well as teas and pastries. Consumer Reports magazine rated McDonald’s regular coffee as better tasting than Starbucks as well as other STARBUCKS IN 2009 14 national competitors 6 years later. In January 2008, McDonald’s announced it would begin installing coffee bars, called McCafe throughout its US stores, and priced , these drinks between $1. 99 and $3. 29. By comparison, Starbucks’ comparable drink versions were priced between $2. 65 and $4. 5, a premium of approximately one-third (Seaford & Culp & Brooks, 2008). ? Starbucks considered Dunkin Donuts as an indirect competitor that competed within the lower-end convenience-oriented fast-food market; however, Dunkin Donuts pursued an aggressive growth strategy that shifted its positioning to coffee, and reached the top selling retailer of coffee-by-the-cup in America at 2. 7 million cups a day by 2006 (Seaford & Culp & Brooks, 2008). Besides, Starbucks also needs to grab market share from Nescafe and Lavazza who introduced sophisticated easy-to-use coffee system that help customers make good coffee at home. . Value chain analysis Firm Infrastructure The â€Å"Starbucks Experience†, including the store design and layout, involves a unique experience that the consumers will not receive it anywhere else. Starbucks also incorporates local stories and culture when designing the store; this creates a community involvement and more personal experience for the cust omers. Customers who buy Starbucks product are not only purchasing a simple beverage, they STARBUCKS IN 2009 15 are purchasing an experience and bring back the value for the company.Human Resource Starbucks believes in a workplace where people are treated equally and respectfully; also to inspire them and to share in its success. The company offers extensive training for their employees, to involve them in the company culture. Starbucks creates value and company morals for their employees by providing them with great health benefits and empowering them in the decision making process. Employees then create value for the company in return by selling Starbucks product. Technology Development Starbucks is always trying to be innovated in the market by introducing new technologies and creative products.The POS system provides efficiency when placing customer orders and it also detects sales on specific products for managers to monitor certain sales patterns. Starbucks’ Verismo mac hine also plays an important part of the company’s technology development by providing fast production of high quality beverage to their customers. Procurement Starbucks has a huge buying power internationally and has a great long-term relationship STARBUCKS IN 2009 16 with the local coffee beans suppliers. This helps the company control costs, in turn being able to create greater value and profit for the organization.Operations From selecting and searching high quality coffee beans all over the globe to the cup of coffee prepared by certified Baristas; Starbucks’ operation process creates a standardized guideline all across the organization by the efficient service from all level of employees and management. Outbound logistics Starbucks’ distribution system is expansive, including the storefront retail stores, licensed products and brand, as well as airport terminals. The company also offers mobile apps, and loyalty cards for regular customers to provide effici ency and show appreciation of their business to the company.Marketing and Sales In order to provide greater consumer value, Starbucks has created many loyalty programs for return customers as well as frequent promotions and new flavored beverages to keep its product interesting. The company also focuses on holiday season products such as holiday flavor beverages and merchandises to add value for the existing products. STARBUCKS IN 2009 17 Recommendation: Considering the increasing average price of coffee beans resulted from the resource shortages, Starbucks would face a higher costs of material and more powerful suppliers.Planning vertical integration to unite or own the valuable farms and plants could effectively guarantee the supply and control costs. Maintaining a clear brand image and position and holding the principles and concepts that have long been implemented are effective approaches to survive Starbucks within the fierce competition. The unfavorable opinions of customers t owards VIA instant coffee make it clear that aggressive expanding and changing for competition would confuse consumers and lose market.Since in-store atmosphere, free Wi-Fi, and considerate customer service are no longer the unique features of Starbucks, it is necessary to create new ideas to develop â€Å"Starbucks Experience† that makes Starbucks different. Figuring out more ways that are consistent with the core value of the brand to integrate and re-launch the concept of â€Å"Starbucks Experience† to motivate customers by turning familiar things new. STARBUCKS IN 2009 18 Appendix Table 1. The table of figures showed in the graphs: 2008 ROA ROE Gross Margin Operating margin Net Margin 12. 67% 8. 88% 0. 470 0. 057 0. 036 2007 29. 45% 19. 72% 0. 00 0. 132 0. 084 2006 25. 32% 20. 19% 0. 517 0. 136 0. 086 0. 145 0. 092 2005 23. 65% 22. 21% STARBUCKS IN 2009 19 REFERENCES Grant, R. M. (2010). Contemporary Strategy Analysis (seven editions). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons . PEW. (2009). The Impact of the September 2008 Economic Collapse. Retrieved January 31, 2013, from http://www. pewtrusts. org/our_work_report_detail. aspx? id=58695 Seaford, B. C. & Culp, R. C. & Brooks, B. W. (2008). Starbucks: Maintaining A Clear Position. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 18(3), 39-57. Starbucks Corporation. (2008). Fiscal 2008 Annual Report.

Protect Our Mother Nature

PROTECT OUR MOTHER NATURE Repeatedly in history, conceptions of nature have served as ideological justifications for political theory. The most obvious example is the Hobbesian state of nature against which even the most oppressive government appears perfectly legitimate. Whereas in most cases of political theory, nature looks like an incompetent savage or unreliable tramp, some anarchist lines of argument instead offer versions of nature as infinite, loving, or otherwise better than the artifices to which it is implicitly opposed.Whether for or against nature, depictions of the natural world in political theory consider it in cultural units of meaning, a combination of icons and stereotypes that change not only our understanding of nature, but also of the units of meaning being referenced. In the early twentieth century journal Mother Earth, a construction of nature comes together, in a publication interested mostly in anarchist and feminist goals, that worshipped nature as a huge, consuming, feminine super being.Certain traits in the construction of nature in this journal form an account of nature as a particular type of femininity to be admired, a move laden both with direct strategic value and creeping implications for the idealizations of womanhood. In order to establish the desirability of the journal’s goal of a world without artificial systems of control, the opposition of nature and artifice is a crucial first step. While it may seem tempting to define these terms, this neglects the primary function of both as catchalls with nebulous referents and amorphous structure defined only by their opposition to one another.The process of dividing the categories begins in the very first issue of the publication, in the foundational article †Mother Earth†. The article mythologizes that â€Å"Man issued from the womb of Mother Earth †¦ out of his efforts there arose the dreary doctrine that he was not related to the Earth, that she was but a temporary resting place for his scornful feet and that she held nothing for him but temptation to degrade himself. † This creation story of the present political situation clearly opposes the natural, which was original, to the artificial, which is only an egoistic and recent edifice.Nature as mother, of course, means artifice must be opposed, and thus becomes child, making the entirety of the anarchist argument parallel to motherly chastisement. In the same issue, â€Å"Without Government† bemoans government solutions as inevitably late and insubstantial, suggesting an analogy with illness where â€Å"the symptom of the disease was hidden† and only on its appearance would the government act. In this metaphor, artificial solutions to the world’s problems are only attacks on a flurry of symptoms as they slowly manifest themselves in increasingly visible ways, thus the profound animosity the journal expresses towards ‘Comstockery’.Regulation of sexuality becomes a direct example of the child trying to limit what mother had given to her children. Volume three number five offers an analogy for group resistance of bees on a tree branch, â€Å"it is only needful that one bee spread its wings, rise and fly, and after it the second, the third, the tenth, the hundredth, for the immobile hanging mass to become a freely flying swarm of bees. † The writing makes humans already bees in a thoroughly naturalized world upon which systems of domination such as the state and religion have only been imposed in a superficial sense.All we need to do, in this account, is realize the situation, and spread our wingsto fly back into an expansive and beautiful nature. This fetishization of nature provides a clear contrast between the world of that which the anarchafeminist politics of the publication oppose and the ‘real’ world of nature that underlies and surrounds the injustices of artificial living. The question then bec omes, in order to prove the insufficiency and downright failures of artifice by comparison, what is the character of nature? To begin with, nature is big.In the first issue’s article â€Å"Mother Earth†, the history of the world seems laid out in a quasi-mythical tale. â€Å"Earth was but one of a myriad of stars floating in infinite space. † The whole of the universe, with which nature remains implicitly identified, exceeds our abilities to measure, let alone comprehend – a myriad in infinity. Even in this cosmic understanding, that which is natural and surrounded is still itself huge. In an article in the first issue called â€Å"Try Love†, the argument concludes, â€Å"Let us be broad and big. Let us not overlook vital things, because of the bulk of trifles confronting us. The natural is large; problems from artifice can be numerous, but each is only of trifling size – thousands of children surrounding one huge mother. Beyond being large to begin with, the maniacal focus in the publication on freeing nature and being freed into nature also revolves around a hope for future growth. As if ‘we’ were already failing to be â€Å"broad and big† enough, â€Å"The Tragedy of Women’s Emancipation† proclaims: â€Å"Salvation lies in an energetic march onwards towards a brighter and clearer future. We are in need of unhampered growth out of old traditions and habits† as if nature and life in nature knew no limits.The image is of not just a sprouting weed, but a whole forest growing out of a street. This rhetorical strategy of associating the concept of nature so crucial to driving the arguments of the journal with hugeness seems strangely sympathetic with and to industrializing urges of the time. The conflict between the temptations of big machines with big outputs and direct material gain versus little anarchic communities with little to offer but some vague sense of satisfaction can finally be resolved in an anarchy run by a big nature figure, a loving cow mother replaces the cruel leviathan father.This solution gives all the benefits and reassurance of something so-big-it-must-work and avoids all the downfalls readers would consider so endemic to ‘modernization’ . Beyond simple scale, nature is inescapable. While a big nature appeals to childlike demand for an oversized mother who will ensure safety and grant all desires, the journal also shows nature as generally inevitable. Relying on one of many references to scientific certainty, â€Å"Liberty†, in the second volume, issue number three, reminds us: â€Å"the natural law of a social organism is as certain as, though less known than, the force of gravity.Like the latter it antedates, and is independent of, our knowledge of its existence, or of the law of its operation. † The natural law, suggesting the order inherent in ‘free’ ways of life, does not even need to be pro ven preferable to artificial laws so long as it is inevitable, the rhetoric suggests. No matter how much one tries to fight it, they can only impede the natural order of things, but never change it. Indeed, this sentiment, in argument form, makes up the bulk of the rest of the article. The natural law not only frames what is and is not tyranny, but even ‘proves’ the futility of passing any laws through the government.And men, brought up in law-abiding communities in the deepest respect for the law, will, under the changed conditions of life, not merely condone the infliction of a penalty in excess of that provided by law, but will themselves assist, virtuously satisfied with their conduct because the society of which they form a part has decided that horse-stealing shall be so punished. On the other hand, there are numerous laws on the statute books, still unrepealed and unenforceable because the acts treated of are no longer held to be offences against morality.In othe r words, the morals of a people can be regulated only by themselves. The trick is very simple, if a law is natural there is no reason to legislate about it, and if it is not natural no one will obey it. The rhetorical construction of nature as unavoidable already renders artifice more than avoidable – it is always already avoided. Rhetorical implications become argument: it would be impossible to describe any part of government’s power as belonging to government itself, because people only act based on nature. The closest government comes to legislation in this model is to prescribe behavior people already exhibit.The gist of this construction of nature is most clear in the case of a poem in volume three, number two entitled â€Å"The King†. In it, a dead king rots in nature, covered in lizards and â€Å"vile spineless things†, literally consumed by the overpowering feminine in his afterlife. â€Å"Faith lit his pathway with her loveliness; / Fair Hopeâ €™s voice called him from his barren fen; Love vainly strove to lure him with her grace. † As a feminine entity, nature is here the omnipresent mother, she tracks down her children and is always there for them to return to.Inescapable nature not only sets up a comparison in which government and artifice can never win, but simultaneously constructs the role of a feminine presence that is ineradicable and impossible to resist. The good mother must be always present and forever accepting of even her most lost children. Also, nature has youthful beauty. In the first issue of Mother Earth, the flagship article explains the history of nature in terms that make Earth unmistakably a young mother, â€Å"she renewed herself, the good mother, and came again each Spring, radiant with youthful beauty, beckoning her children to come to her bosom and partake of her bounty. Nature’s youth not only implies a relative trait against which all human-made construction can never appear more – almost sexually – attractive. The attempt to make nature look nice is nowhere so transparent as in this attempt to cast it as actually young and beautiful. Indeed, even its temporary failings can be excused by Earth’s renewal each spring. If some part of nature is dangerous or undesirable, it will soon be corrected in the regular course of the seasons. In volume five, number six, â€Å"The Esthetic Side of Jewtown† explains,Life is too strenuous in Jewtown to preserve the bloom of youth. Among the younger ones there are some who are very beautiful beneath their coating of filth, with the clove skin and large, soft, black eyes. They give themselves a coquettish appearance. The truly horrid part of life in the Ghetto, we learn, is that it covers or takes away the natural beauty of women. Artifice cannot destroy nature, because nature is big and inescapable, but it can blemish its beauty temporarily.This identification of nature with youth and beauty combined with the opposition of nature and the state sell anarchism almost exactly the way one might sell diet soda: government is actually too ugly to appreciate, gorgeous young women prefer anarchy. In classic advertising style, Mother Earth also describes nature as saturated with love. In the first issue, when describing a budding relationship crushed by the coldness of artifice and modern living, â€Å"The Tragedy of Women’s Emancipation† explains that â€Å"poetry and the enthusiasm of love cover their blushing faces before the pure beauty of the lady. Her admirer] silences the voice of his nature and remains correct. † The article condemns his correctitude as exactly the basic problem of modern living – its disconnect from love and contact. Tragically, the beauty of the lady, just as that of the kindly mother Earth, has been tainted to block the â€Å"poetry† and â€Å"enthusiasm of love† the article considers natural. In contrast to t he authentic state of love the various ‘systems’ of which anarchism complains give us poor simulations of affection: marriage and the nuclear family.In volume 3, number five, the article â€Å"Light and Shadows in the Life of an Avant-Gard†, we learn The poor women, thousands of them, abused, insulted, and outraged by their precious husbands, must continue a life of degradation. They have no money to join the colony in Reno. No relief for them. The poor women, the slaves of the slaves, must go on prostituting themselves. They must continue to bear children in hate, in conflict, in physical horror. The marriage institution and the â€Å"sanctity of the home† are only for those who have not the money to buy themselves free from both, even as the chattel slave from his master.Nature offers real love, civilization offers a slavery titled love. These stark terms of opposition function to set up an understanding of a loving motherly nature that makes it obviousl y superior to the uncaring childlike cruelties that comprise the artificial world. As is often thought, nature is also connected with freedom. It is quite arbitrary to say that those things to which a life in ‘nature’ is conducive represent the content of freedom. For instance, in nature one is not free to vote or go to work, and yet this is considered irrelevant to questions of liberty.In volume two, number three, of Mother Earth, the article â€Å"Liberty† proclaims that â€Å"whatever may be the form of social institutions, if it does no more than to declare and enforce well-known rules of natural justice, then I am free. † The simplistic opposition between the compromises of ‘artificial’ life and the freedom of nature is best exemplified in the pithy quote â€Å"Liberty escaped into the wilderness† from the journal’s founding article. This unbounded freedom seems excessively unrealistic as a description of a mother, and yet i t is precisely the freedom that mothers lacked that the journal constructs nature as having in spades.At the same time, the infinite youth, beauty, and inescapable freedom in and of nature primarily complement its fundamentally orderly state. Perhaps in one of the most bizarre fixations of anarchist literature, the journal seems careful to point out the extreme orderliness of life in anarchy. In this kind of reconciliation of total freedom and total justice one can actually see the neurosis of liberalism tentatively suggest what it most wishes simply come true: good freedom and good order. The very first issue, in the rticle â€Å"Without Government† we are told that, there are qualities present in man, which permit the possibilities of social life, organization, and co-operative work without the application of force. Such qualities are solidarity, common action, and love of justice. To-day they are either crippled [sic] or made ineffective through the influence of compulsion ; they can hardly be fully unfolded in a society in which groups, classes, and individuals are placed in hostile, irreconcilable opposition to one anotherAgain, like an orderly housewife, nature maintains a world that works, but without even so much as a broom. Instead, nature works through qualities always already present in people, as natural beings. It is through this sort of argument that anarchism can define government into such a position that it doesn’t even make sense to consider, having already had all its greatest advantages stolen over to the side of nature. Simultaneously, nature’s great assets will be willingly sacrificed to her children in cheerful martyrdom.Like the constructed role of a ‘good mother’, nature â€Å"sees the bleeding feet of her children †¦ hears their moans, and she is ever calling to them that she is theirs† beginning in the founding article of Mother Earth. The article continues to encourage the exploitation of nature because nature is asking for it, here with increasingly vivid maternal imagery. Mother Earth keeps sources of vast wealth hidden within the folds of her ample bosom, extended her inviting and hospitable arms to all those who came to her from arbitrary and despotic lands–Mother Earth ready to give herself alike to all her children.But soon she was seized by the few, stripped of her freedom, fenced in, a prey to those who were endowed with cunning and unscrupulous shrewdness. The rapaciousness of artifice and modern civilization becomes its primary characteristic when put in the terms of a kindly mother fallen prey to vicious quasi-Oedipal domination. Here, again, the journal’s construction of nature as feminine serves the direct political function of discrediting political opponents such as the state, capitalism, and religion.However, the indirect effect of such a construction may be more historically significant, as the natural world becomes increasingly femini zed in particular ways. It is impossible to simply associate nature with feminine, because there is too much to each category. Here the generality is retained on the term of nature – to the degree that it’s distinction from artifice can be kept plausible – and specificity is given to the feminine. Mothers should, in this account, sacrifice everything to their children, no matter how abusive they may be to her.Indeed, every praised trait of Mother Earth is a thinly veiled suggestion for mothers to fulfill. That Mother Earth is huge, inescapable, free and orderly says, at some level, that all good mothers are this way. Thus we end with a political theory laid out in Mother Earth that various artificial systems are bad because they are inferior to a young, beautiful martyr of an omnipresent loving mother who provides both freedom and order.In conclusion, the journal Mother Earth deployed rhetoric in various forms to craft a particular feminine version of nature tha t explicitly worked to delegitimize particular systems of oppression and implicitly functioned to worship an ideal maternal version of womanhood. The journal’s preoccupation with issues of concern to women, such as marriage, prostitution, birth control, and sexuality coincided with its normalizing urge to encounter (some) people as children of nature who could frolic freely within the limitless provisions of their mother’s great world.However, there are actually two possible roles for a subject here, children or mother herself. Politics and men immediately appear infantilized against the mother of nature, supplying a ready-made excuse and index for predicting their actions as irresponsible yet lovable children, but for many women Mother Earth was not their mother, but to be their role model.Nature was a mother whose private sphere expanded to one large planetary home and material limitations in age and restriction were erased by scientific appeal (and pure fiat) to ren der life in nature simultaneously completely free and problem-free. As a solution to the troubles of political theory, the journal instead invented a superhero character to replace the tired images of a drudging, used up, and insensitive nature with a glossy new young, beautiful cover girl – Mother Earth. Protect Our Mother Nature PROTECT OUR MOTHER NATURE Repeatedly in history, conceptions of nature have served as ideological justifications for political theory. The most obvious example is the Hobbesian state of nature against which even the most oppressive government appears perfectly legitimate. Whereas in most cases of political theory, nature looks like an incompetent savage or unreliable tramp, some anarchist lines of argument instead offer versions of nature as infinite, loving, or otherwise better than the artifices to which it is implicitly opposed.Whether for or against nature, depictions of the natural world in political theory consider it in cultural units of meaning, a combination of icons and stereotypes that change not only our understanding of nature, but also of the units of meaning being referenced. In the early twentieth century journal Mother Earth, a construction of nature comes together, in a publication interested mostly in anarchist and feminist goals, that worshipped nature as a huge, consuming, feminine super being.Certain traits in the construction of nature in this journal form an account of nature as a particular type of femininity to be admired, a move laden both with direct strategic value and creeping implications for the idealizations of womanhood. In order to establish the desirability of the journal’s goal of a world without artificial systems of control, the opposition of nature and artifice is a crucial first step. While it may seem tempting to define these terms, this neglects the primary function of both as catchalls with nebulous referents and amorphous structure defined only by their opposition to one another.The process of dividing the categories begins in the very first issue of the publication, in the foundational article †Mother Earth†. The article mythologizes that â€Å"Man issued from the womb of Mother Earth †¦ out of his efforts there arose the dreary doctrine that he was not related to the Earth, that she was but a temporary resting place for his scornful feet and that she held nothing for him but temptation to degrade himself. † This creation story of the present political situation clearly opposes the natural, which was original, to the artificial, which is only an egoistic and recent edifice.Nature as mother, of course, means artifice must be opposed, and thus becomes child, making the entirety of the anarchist argument parallel to motherly chastisement. In the same issue, â€Å"Without Government† bemoans government solutions as inevitably late and insubstantial, suggesting an analogy with illness where â€Å"the symptom of the disease was hidden† and only on its appearance would the government act. In this metaphor, artificial solutions to the world’s problems are only attacks on a flurry of symptoms as they slowly manifest themselves in increasingly visible ways, thus the profound animosity the journal expresses towards ‘Comstockery’.Regulation of sexuality becomes a direct example of the child trying to limit what mother had given to her children. Volume three number five offers an analogy for group resistance of bees on a tree branch, â€Å"it is only needful that one bee spread its wings, rise and fly, and after it the second, the third, the tenth, the hundredth, for the immobile hanging mass to become a freely flying swarm of bees. † The writing makes humans already bees in a thoroughly naturalized world upon which systems of domination such as the state and religion have only been imposed in a superficial sense.All we need to do, in this account, is realize the situation, and spread our wingsto fly back into an expansive and beautiful nature. This fetishization of nature provides a clear contrast between the world of that which the anarchafeminist politics of the publication oppose and the ‘real’ world of nature that underlies and surrounds the injustices of artificial living. The question then bec omes, in order to prove the insufficiency and downright failures of artifice by comparison, what is the character of nature? To begin with, nature is big.In the first issue’s article â€Å"Mother Earth†, the history of the world seems laid out in a quasi-mythical tale. â€Å"Earth was but one of a myriad of stars floating in infinite space. † The whole of the universe, with which nature remains implicitly identified, exceeds our abilities to measure, let alone comprehend – a myriad in infinity. Even in this cosmic understanding, that which is natural and surrounded is still itself huge. In an article in the first issue called â€Å"Try Love†, the argument concludes, â€Å"Let us be broad and big. Let us not overlook vital things, because of the bulk of trifles confronting us. The natural is large; problems from artifice can be numerous, but each is only of trifling size – thousands of children surrounding one huge mother. Beyond being large to begin with, the maniacal focus in the publication on freeing nature and being freed into nature also revolves around a hope for future growth. As if ‘we’ were already failing to be â€Å"broad and big† enough, â€Å"The Tragedy of Women’s Emancipation† proclaims: â€Å"Salvation lies in an energetic march onwards towards a brighter and clearer future. We are in need of unhampered growth out of old traditions and habits† as if nature and life in nature knew no limits.The image is of not just a sprouting weed, but a whole forest growing out of a street. This rhetorical strategy of associating the concept of nature so crucial to driving the arguments of the journal with hugeness seems strangely sympathetic with and to industrializing urges of the time. The conflict between the temptations of big machines with big outputs and direct material gain versus little anarchic communities with little to offer but some vague sense of satisfaction can finally be resolved in an anarchy run by a big nature figure, a loving cow mother replaces the cruel leviathan father.This solution gives all the benefits and reassurance of something so-big-it-must-work and avoids all the downfalls readers would consider so endemic to ‘modernization’ . Beyond simple scale, nature is inescapable. While a big nature appeals to childlike demand for an oversized mother who will ensure safety and grant all desires, the journal also shows nature as generally inevitable. Relying on one of many references to scientific certainty, â€Å"Liberty†, in the second volume, issue number three, reminds us: â€Å"the natural law of a social organism is as certain as, though less known than, the force of gravity.Like the latter it antedates, and is independent of, our knowledge of its existence, or of the law of its operation. † The natural law, suggesting the order inherent in ‘free’ ways of life, does not even need to be pro ven preferable to artificial laws so long as it is inevitable, the rhetoric suggests. No matter how much one tries to fight it, they can only impede the natural order of things, but never change it. Indeed, this sentiment, in argument form, makes up the bulk of the rest of the article. The natural law not only frames what is and is not tyranny, but even ‘proves’ the futility of passing any laws through the government.And men, brought up in law-abiding communities in the deepest respect for the law, will, under the changed conditions of life, not merely condone the infliction of a penalty in excess of that provided by law, but will themselves assist, virtuously satisfied with their conduct because the society of which they form a part has decided that horse-stealing shall be so punished. On the other hand, there are numerous laws on the statute books, still unrepealed and unenforceable because the acts treated of are no longer held to be offences against morality.In othe r words, the morals of a people can be regulated only by themselves. The trick is very simple, if a law is natural there is no reason to legislate about it, and if it is not natural no one will obey it. The rhetorical construction of nature as unavoidable already renders artifice more than avoidable – it is always already avoided. Rhetorical implications become argument: it would be impossible to describe any part of government’s power as belonging to government itself, because people only act based on nature. The closest government comes to legislation in this model is to prescribe behavior people already exhibit.The gist of this construction of nature is most clear in the case of a poem in volume three, number two entitled â€Å"The King†. In it, a dead king rots in nature, covered in lizards and â€Å"vile spineless things†, literally consumed by the overpowering feminine in his afterlife. â€Å"Faith lit his pathway with her loveliness; / Fair Hopeâ €™s voice called him from his barren fen; Love vainly strove to lure him with her grace. † As a feminine entity, nature is here the omnipresent mother, she tracks down her children and is always there for them to return to.Inescapable nature not only sets up a comparison in which government and artifice can never win, but simultaneously constructs the role of a feminine presence that is ineradicable and impossible to resist. The good mother must be always present and forever accepting of even her most lost children. Also, nature has youthful beauty. In the first issue of Mother Earth, the flagship article explains the history of nature in terms that make Earth unmistakably a young mother, â€Å"she renewed herself, the good mother, and came again each Spring, radiant with youthful beauty, beckoning her children to come to her bosom and partake of her bounty. Nature’s youth not only implies a relative trait against which all human-made construction can never appear more – almost sexually – attractive. The attempt to make nature look nice is nowhere so transparent as in this attempt to cast it as actually young and beautiful. Indeed, even its temporary failings can be excused by Earth’s renewal each spring. If some part of nature is dangerous or undesirable, it will soon be corrected in the regular course of the seasons. In volume five, number six, â€Å"The Esthetic Side of Jewtown† explains,Life is too strenuous in Jewtown to preserve the bloom of youth. Among the younger ones there are some who are very beautiful beneath their coating of filth, with the clove skin and large, soft, black eyes. They give themselves a coquettish appearance. The truly horrid part of life in the Ghetto, we learn, is that it covers or takes away the natural beauty of women. Artifice cannot destroy nature, because nature is big and inescapable, but it can blemish its beauty temporarily.This identification of nature with youth and beauty combined with the opposition of nature and the state sell anarchism almost exactly the way one might sell diet soda: government is actually too ugly to appreciate, gorgeous young women prefer anarchy. In classic advertising style, Mother Earth also describes nature as saturated with love. In the first issue, when describing a budding relationship crushed by the coldness of artifice and modern living, â€Å"The Tragedy of Women’s Emancipation† explains that â€Å"poetry and the enthusiasm of love cover their blushing faces before the pure beauty of the lady. Her admirer] silences the voice of his nature and remains correct. † The article condemns his correctitude as exactly the basic problem of modern living – its disconnect from love and contact. Tragically, the beauty of the lady, just as that of the kindly mother Earth, has been tainted to block the â€Å"poetry† and â€Å"enthusiasm of love† the article considers natural. In contrast to t he authentic state of love the various ‘systems’ of which anarchism complains give us poor simulations of affection: marriage and the nuclear family.In volume 3, number five, the article â€Å"Light and Shadows in the Life of an Avant-Gard†, we learn The poor women, thousands of them, abused, insulted, and outraged by their precious husbands, must continue a life of degradation. They have no money to join the colony in Reno. No relief for them. The poor women, the slaves of the slaves, must go on prostituting themselves. They must continue to bear children in hate, in conflict, in physical horror. The marriage institution and the â€Å"sanctity of the home† are only for those who have not the money to buy themselves free from both, even as the chattel slave from his master.Nature offers real love, civilization offers a slavery titled love. These stark terms of opposition function to set up an understanding of a loving motherly nature that makes it obviousl y superior to the uncaring childlike cruelties that comprise the artificial world. As is often thought, nature is also connected with freedom. It is quite arbitrary to say that those things to which a life in ‘nature’ is conducive represent the content of freedom. For instance, in nature one is not free to vote or go to work, and yet this is considered irrelevant to questions of liberty.In volume two, number three, of Mother Earth, the article â€Å"Liberty† proclaims that â€Å"whatever may be the form of social institutions, if it does no more than to declare and enforce well-known rules of natural justice, then I am free. † The simplistic opposition between the compromises of ‘artificial’ life and the freedom of nature is best exemplified in the pithy quote â€Å"Liberty escaped into the wilderness† from the journal’s founding article. This unbounded freedom seems excessively unrealistic as a description of a mother, and yet i t is precisely the freedom that mothers lacked that the journal constructs nature as having in spades.At the same time, the infinite youth, beauty, and inescapable freedom in and of nature primarily complement its fundamentally orderly state. Perhaps in one of the most bizarre fixations of anarchist literature, the journal seems careful to point out the extreme orderliness of life in anarchy. In this kind of reconciliation of total freedom and total justice one can actually see the neurosis of liberalism tentatively suggest what it most wishes simply come true: good freedom and good order. The very first issue, in the rticle â€Å"Without Government† we are told that, there are qualities present in man, which permit the possibilities of social life, organization, and co-operative work without the application of force. Such qualities are solidarity, common action, and love of justice. To-day they are either crippled [sic] or made ineffective through the influence of compulsion ; they can hardly be fully unfolded in a society in which groups, classes, and individuals are placed in hostile, irreconcilable opposition to one anotherAgain, like an orderly housewife, nature maintains a world that works, but without even so much as a broom. Instead, nature works through qualities always already present in people, as natural beings. It is through this sort of argument that anarchism can define government into such a position that it doesn’t even make sense to consider, having already had all its greatest advantages stolen over to the side of nature. Simultaneously, nature’s great assets will be willingly sacrificed to her children in cheerful martyrdom.Like the constructed role of a ‘good mother’, nature â€Å"sees the bleeding feet of her children †¦ hears their moans, and she is ever calling to them that she is theirs† beginning in the founding article of Mother Earth. The article continues to encourage the exploitation of nature because nature is asking for it, here with increasingly vivid maternal imagery. Mother Earth keeps sources of vast wealth hidden within the folds of her ample bosom, extended her inviting and hospitable arms to all those who came to her from arbitrary and despotic lands–Mother Earth ready to give herself alike to all her children.But soon she was seized by the few, stripped of her freedom, fenced in, a prey to those who were endowed with cunning and unscrupulous shrewdness. The rapaciousness of artifice and modern civilization becomes its primary characteristic when put in the terms of a kindly mother fallen prey to vicious quasi-Oedipal domination. Here, again, the journal’s construction of nature as feminine serves the direct political function of discrediting political opponents such as the state, capitalism, and religion.However, the indirect effect of such a construction may be more historically significant, as the natural world becomes increasingly femini zed in particular ways. It is impossible to simply associate nature with feminine, because there is too much to each category. Here the generality is retained on the term of nature – to the degree that it’s distinction from artifice can be kept plausible – and specificity is given to the feminine. Mothers should, in this account, sacrifice everything to their children, no matter how abusive they may be to her.Indeed, every praised trait of Mother Earth is a thinly veiled suggestion for mothers to fulfill. That Mother Earth is huge, inescapable, free and orderly says, at some level, that all good mothers are this way. Thus we end with a political theory laid out in Mother Earth that various artificial systems are bad because they are inferior to a young, beautiful martyr of an omnipresent loving mother who provides both freedom and order.In conclusion, the journal Mother Earth deployed rhetoric in various forms to craft a particular feminine version of nature tha t explicitly worked to delegitimize particular systems of oppression and implicitly functioned to worship an ideal maternal version of womanhood. The journal’s preoccupation with issues of concern to women, such as marriage, prostitution, birth control, and sexuality coincided with its normalizing urge to encounter (some) people as children of nature who could frolic freely within the limitless provisions of their mother’s great world.However, there are actually two possible roles for a subject here, children or mother herself. Politics and men immediately appear infantilized against the mother of nature, supplying a ready-made excuse and index for predicting their actions as irresponsible yet lovable children, but for many women Mother Earth was not their mother, but to be their role model.Nature was a mother whose private sphere expanded to one large planetary home and material limitations in age and restriction were erased by scientific appeal (and pure fiat) to ren der life in nature simultaneously completely free and problem-free. As a solution to the troubles of political theory, the journal instead invented a superhero character to replace the tired images of a drudging, used up, and insensitive nature with a glossy new young, beautiful cover girl – Mother Earth.